


Bedside Vigil

by buriedandreset



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:15:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24588181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buriedandreset/pseuds/buriedandreset
Summary: Set in the aftermath of the second leg of the Quest For the Broken Ghost. Wraith has emotions that she finds difficult to keep to herself after Wattson was injured. She comes to sit with Wattson, letting Caustic go get some decent coffee. However, Wattson wakes up and there are emotions over what happened and then there is discussion of their feelings for each other.
Relationships: Wattson | Natalie Paquette/Wraith | Renee Blasey
Comments: 5
Kudos: 134





	Bedside Vigil

Wraith didn’t like hospitals, or really anything that seemed clinical. It reminded her of that IMC facility. She’d flinch every time she saw a nurse go by with a syringe. She knew that the place Natalie was in didn’t torture people or mistreat them, but Wraith’s skin still crawled. Even so, she did her best to bury her own feelings and bad memories and focused solely on her concern for her friend. Her family. Natalie meant everything to her.

If she was in desperate need of a distraction, Wraith would simply think about what she’d do to Loba if Natalie didn’t make it. Of course, she’d have to contend with Alexander in that respect, but something told her that the two of them could come to some mutual agreement in regards to dealing with Loba if it came to it.

Not for the first time, when Wraith hovered in the doorway of the room Natalie was in, Alexander noted her presence.

“She would understand if you would rather be elsewhere,” he commented. Wraith’s half-unfocused gaze suddenly snapped back to reality as she looked at him.

“I know. But I’d rather be here. Besides, you could use some rest.” Wraith responded as she moved into the room. “Or at least some decent coffee.”

The doctor studied Wraith for some moments before giving a nod. “The coffee in this place is certainly sub-standard. Perhaps procuring decent coffee shall prove beneficial.” He stood from the chair he’d been in and moved past Wraith. He had a thought to say something more, but decided against it before he left Wraith to have her vigil over Natalie.

Once Alexander left, Wraith didn’t sit down. She could never sit still in places like these. She leaned her shoulder against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest and she looked at Natalie. The other woman at least looked peaceful in her sleep, but Wraith would really like to be able to look her in the eye again and have a two-way conversation with her. Her position against the wall gave her a clear line of sight to the door and have enough of a view out the window in the event trouble rose.

She wished that she’d been there with Natalie when it had happened. Perhaps she could’ve done something to save her friend from the injuries she’d suffered. But choices had been made, and this was the road that they’d chosen. All they could do now was sit and wait for Natalie to wake up.

Wraith wasn’t even going to think about the possibility of Natalie not waking up. She couldn’t. She’d already lost her past, everything she’d been before those experiments, she wasn’t about to lose Natalie.

There was a pit in her stomach, a sinking feeling that she’d never really felt before. And there was also fear. Fear that she’d lose Natalie, one of the very few people she trusted. She did her best to squelch it, to bury it deep down where no one else could see it, but she was already on edge from being there that she couldn’t completely conceal it.

“I should have been there with you. I could’ve gotten you out of there,” Wraith commented. It wasn’t the first time she’d started in on that one-sided conversation, either. “Also Octavio should never do undercover work ever again, but that’s besides the point.” She let out a soft sigh, still feeling like she’d somehow failed Natalie.

It was a cycle that had become natural to her when she’d come to sit with Natalie while Alexander got some rest. Or did whatever it was he did in his downtime, which right now probably consisted of him planning horrible things to do to Loba should the worst occur. Even as she was angry at Loba for this mess they were all in and wanted to know what the hell that source code thing was, Wraith also knew that sometimes you had to pay a high price for what you wanted most.

Wraith had her own goals, her own reason for entering the Apex Games to begin with, and she couldn’t fault Loba for her reasons. After all, didn’t all of them have some reason that led them to the Games? Some personal drive that they wished to fulfill by competing? It didn’t completely negate her anger towards the thief, but it did dull it enough where she wouldn’t lash out at the woman unless she had good reason to.

Shaking her head slightly, Wraith looked down at Wattson. Her heart clenched at seeing her in this state, and she really didn’t like the unsettled feeling she had in the pit of her stomach or the thoughts gnawing at the back of her mind about what if Natalie didn’t recover? It was enough to make tears sting her eyes, but she fought them back. All she knew was that she couldn’t lose Natalie. After everything else she’d lost, Wraith couldn’t take losing this family.

Before she realized it, Wraith had moved closer to Natalie’s bedside. She reached out with one hand, her fingers gently brushing through the blonde hair. Wraith would give anything to see Natalie open her eyes again and smile at her. If she didn’t, well, Loba would never know what hit her. Wraith would open a portal and grab the woman before she could blink. And then it would be too late because Alexander would be on the other end of the portal.

But if there was one thing that Wraith’s experiences had taught her, it was that she needed to live in the now and not focus so much on what the future might hold. If she didn’t focus on the choices made in the here and now, she would find herself on the wrong road. So now it was focusing on what she could control in the here and now. Most of which was to be here by Natalie’s side when she woke up.

Wait, did she just feel movement?

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Wraith realized that Natalie was looking up at her with a smile on her face. The brunette adopted the look of a deer caught in headlights, her fingers in the blonde’s hair freezing.

“Uh,” Wraith stuttered, trying to find the words. Suddenly she wished a portal would open up underneath her feet and swallow her into the Void. She cleared her throat as she pulled her hand away from Natalie’s hair. “You’re awake,” she stated. Clearly she had a way with words.

“I am. It is good to see you. A sight for sore eyes,” Natalie quipped.

“More like a sore everything in your case,” she responded. “How are you feeling?” Wraith was trying to keep her emotions under control.

“Better for seeing you here.” Natalie noted with a smile. And it was true, she didn’t mind being in a hospital bed so much when Wraith was right there by her side.

“I uh, I’m glad.” Wraith responded a little awkwardly. She really didn’t know what to do right now. She wanted to be close to Natalie, but she didn’t know how close was too close so she simply opted for being in that awkward middle ground of being beside the bed.

Perhaps sensing Wraith’s awkwardness, or perhaps because she wanted to ensure she wasn’t actually dead, or maybe it was a bit of both, Natalie reached out and took Wraith’s hand in hers. Wraith’s hand was warm. That wasn’t always the case. She’d noticed at times Wraith could be cold, though that tended to be after she’d used her portal.

There was a moment when Natalie took her hand that Wraith felt her heart stop beating. It was not exactly a feeling she was used to, and she was getting even more overwhelmed by the things she felt. Though she was trying to keep it all buried inside, but it was becoming more and more difficult with the more she felt. And it was made all the more difficult realizing just how close she’d come to losing Natalie. Her heart wrenched and she couldn’t handle the feeling.

“You can sit down, you know,” Natalie coaxed. There wasn’t a chair close enough to the side of the bed, but there was room for Wraith to sit on the bed beside her. Natalie squeezed Wraith’s hand gently, and Wraith finally sat down on the bed, squeezing her hand back.

“They said you’ll make a full recovery.” Wraith hoped that was actually true and hadn’t just been people placating them. Or, possibly more to the point, placating Alexander so he didn’t use them as test subjects for his experiments.

“That’s good,” Natalie responded. Though she didn’t really want to focus on herself at the moment. “How did Octavio’s date go?”

Wraith rolled her eyes. “He should never go undercover ever again. I thought I was going to have to step in for him, but he actually managed to uncover a piece of information we hadn’t known before. Apparently Loba’s after a source code, that’s what all this is for.”

“A source code? For what?” Natalie’s interest was piqued, of course.

“I don’t know. All I asked her was if it was worth it. All this trouble, you getting hurt, was it really worth it to get this source code.” Of course, Wraith’s objections on this were drawn at the people she cared about getting hurt. That was a very short list, but Natalie was at the very top of that list.

Natalie could see something in Wraith’s face. She may not be the best at reading body language, but when Wraith was typically so unreadable, it was easy to see emotions flash through her expressions. It made her wonder, and she felt like she should press the issue.

“Are you alright?” Natalie asked, watching Wraith’s face carefully. And there seemed to be a momentary hesitation or uncertainty that crossed Wraith’s features.

“I’ve been better, but I’m not the one in a hospital bed currently.” Nor did Wraith want to be in one. The thought of being hooked up to machines brought back bad memories. “I just...want you to be okay.”

“With you here, I will be okay. I know you won’t let it turn out otherwise,” Natalie responded with a smile. Wraith didn’t even have to physically be here for Natalie to know that. They were family, and she trusted Wraith to always be there when she needed her. She always came when she called. This time she hadn’t been able to call and Wraith still came.

Feeling her emotions starting to get the better of her, Natalie pressed her lips together as she sat up. Her body protested the movement, but she ignored the pain in order to wrap her arms around Wraith and hug her tightly.

The hug was unexpected, and Wraith actually froze in place for a few moments. Hugs were not something she was used to receiving. However, she recovered herself enough to wrap her arms around Natalie, mindful of her injuries, and hugged her back. She closed her eyes and that’s when she felt something warm on her shoulder. She realized Natalie was crying.

“I need you,” Natalie said, her voice lined with the sound of crying.

“I’m not going anywhere, I promise,” Wraith responded gently, tightening her arms around Natalie a little more. The blonde’s own arms tightened around Wraith. Wraith felt the sting of tears at the corners of her eyes, but she was fighting them back, even as her heart wrenched in her chest. She didn’t like seeing Natalie cry, and she’d do anything to help comfort her. “I’m right here,” she murmured.

Natalie was scared. Scared because of what happened. Scared that she might not fully recover. Scared of being alone here. She both needed and wanted Wraith there with her, and she didn’t want her to leave.

“Stay with me, s’il te plait,” Natalie nearly pleaded.

“Of course I’ll stay with you.” Wraith just wanted to help Natalie feel better. She gently started rubbing Natalie’s back soothingly. It was out of her comfort zone, if she were honest with herself, but Wraith would do anything for Natalie. There were other words on Wraith’s tongue, part of her wanted to say them, but the larger part was afraid to voice it, afraid to let someone in like that.

The way Wraith held her and her response helped to calm Natalie a bit. She just felt safer with the other woman by her side. Perhaps if she’d been there, she could’ve sensed the danger and this wouldn’t have happened. Yet at the same time, if Wraith had been there, would they be clinging to each other like this currently?

Natalie typically wore her heart on her sleeve, what she felt could easily be read on her face and in her body language. Wraith was the exact opposite, but it seemed like there was something more to how Wraith was holding her now. Did she feel something more than friendship for her? Because Natalie certainly liked Wraith as more than a friend or family. She finally lifted her head from Wraith’s shoulder so she could look her in the eye. And what she saw there made her heart wrench.

Wraith was always so careful, so controlled about the emotions she showed, if any. But right now, there was a storm in those blue eyes, and it made Natalie’s yearn for something more than a simple hug. It seemed that they both needed more reassurance that Natalie was indeed still alive. Lifting a hand, Natalie gently pressed it against Wraith’s cheek, her thumb lightly rubbing along her cheekbone.

The hand on her cheek felt like fire. Natalie was warm, and suddenly Wraith’s cheeks felt warm. She looked back into Natalie’s eyes, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. What was this feeling? She couldn’t put a name to it, but she didn’t want Natalie to pull away from her.

Natalie saw Wraith’s cheeks light up with what could only be described as a blush. She’d thought such a thing was impossible for Wraith to do. She’d always been so unflappable and in control of herself she didn’t think the woman knew how to blush. But it was easy to spot the flush of color on her cheeks when Wraith was so pale to begin with. So she did the logical thing: She leaned in and kissed Wraith.

As she felt Natalie’s lips on her own, Wraith felt as though her heart had stopped beating. She froze, not really knowing what to do. Though she liked the feel of Natalie’s lips on hers. The rational side of her was telling her to pull away, but the emotions she’d been feeling ever since hearing about how Natalie had been hurt were suddenly flaring even higher now, fueled by the kiss. And there were new emotions the kiss fueled, ones that she didn’t quite know what they were, but they responded strongly to Natalie. And it was these emotions that won out and Wraith kissed Natalie back, finally closing her eyes and giving into emotions for the first time in...a very long time.

Wraith was allowing herself to be open. Open meant vulnerable and a large part of her was not comfortable with that. She didn’t trust easily, not after her experiences in that IMC facility. She’d seen and experienced some of the darker sides of humanity there. But Natalie was none of that. Natalie was light and she always managed to put a smile on Wraith’s face. Even those terrible puns made Wraith laugh even when she didn’t want to.

After what felt like an eternity, Natalie finally broke the kiss, pulling back only enough to look Wraith in the eye. Then a broad smile crossed Natalie’s face.

“You kissed me back,” she stated.

Wraith promptly blushed, eyes darting off to the side. “Um. Well. Yeah, I did.” Her tone was a bit flustered.

“You like me!” Natalie exclaimed with a happy sort of squeal. “I knew it! You are the electron to my proton!” She then threw her arms around Wraith and hugged her tight.

Wraith barely had time to groan at the metaphor before grunting at being hugged so tight. She felt a little personally attacked at the moment but she also couldn’t completely be mad about it. Part of her actually liked it. She let out a long-suffering sigh and returned the hug.

“Your metaphors could use a little work,” she commented flatly.

“Oh come on, you can take a little static,” Natalie retorted with a giggle. That earned her another groan from Wraith. Which was answered by another giggle.

This wasn’t exactly territory that Wraith understood. It was, in fact, more the complete opposite of how she preferred to be. She kept her emotions to herself, and didn’t really like it when they were exposed for others to see. Yet at the same time, she also knew Natalie wasn’t going to judge her. The engineer more than understood that expressing emotions wasn’t her strong suit. Yet here Wraith was, having an emotional overload that she couldn’t quite keep to herself and Natalie had done nothing but accept it.

“Stay with me tonight. We can figure out the rest tomorrow, okay?” Natalie asked.

“Okay.” Wraith responded. Natalie then shifted in the bed a bit and pulled Wraith in so they could lay there and snuggle together. Natalie felt safer with Wraith there. And Wraith felt more reassured that Natalie was going to be okay being there with her. They both fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Eventually, Alexander returned to check on them, but upon seeing them both asleep in each other’s arms, he simply tilted his head. “Remarkable,” he muttered under his breath. Not wanting to disturb either of them, he turned and left them in peace.


End file.
